Handle.net

Compares matched samples of precision engineering plants in Britain and The Netherlands. Suggests that labour productivity levels in British industry are 25-30 per cent lower than in The Netherlands. This is seen to reflect slower investment in new capital equipment and lower average levels of workforce skills in Britain. The widespread provision of full-time vocational education in The Netherlands is said to enable Dutch employers to carry out further training to technician and craft levels more quickly and cost-effectively. Although British engineering companies are devoting more resources to initial and continuous training, this is insufficient to offset the initial Dutch advantage.